Do you know where this is?

Sunday

Jan 19, 2014 at 6:00 AMJan 20, 2014 at 5:10 AM

When this photo was taken in 1973, the building pictured was not long for this world.

Eastern Cycle Manufacturing Co., the main ground-floor tenant, had already experienced something of a transient life. Founded in 1885, it was the Northeast distributor for several bicycle brands, and sold to both retailers and the public. It had moved to this street in 1935; it moved to this location nearby in 1969.

Worcester has a history of bicycle manufacturing; world champion bicycle racer Marshall "Major" Taylor was brought to the city by Louis "Birdie" Munger, who owned the Worcester Cycle Manufacturing Co., which operated factories in Worcester and in Connecticut.

By 1973, change was afoot. The Worcester Center Galleria had only been open for two years, and Interstate 290 had only been completed for three. Urban renewal was the plan for large swaths of downtown.

With just a few weeks to go until the wrecking ball came to demolish the building in early 1974, Eastern Cycle packed up and moved again. Fotis C. Christedes, president of Eastern Cycle, and company Treasurer Emanuel G. Papageorge bought a building at 1103 Main St., and kept the business going for many years.

In fact, the move to Main Street eventually created a sort of bicycle enthusiast destination shopping area. O'Neil's Bicycle Shop had been across Main Street, and in the 1980s Bicycle Alley sprouted up not far down the street.